Letters to the Editor

PENSION LIFE: Wayne Snooks says he is on a pension and doesn't smoke, drink, go to the cinema or the pokies, and doesn't go to restaurants. Picture: File photo

Standing for the truth

Peter Benson, Chairman of Circular Head Aboriginal Centre (Sept 30), is standing up for the truth.

He has guts and unity, not separation. LOVE is the word, love one another.

The Arthur-Pieman tracks should be kept open, and aboriginal sites set aside and protected with respect for one another.

Several years ago there was a week of activities; the idea came from local innovators, with past MP Tony Fletcher at the forefront.

There was also a cattle drive down the Pieman, which was a few day’s event with horses, riders and camping in the outdoor environment.

That was a memory never to be forgotten. This area should be enjoyed by all.

Our Aboriginal Centre in Smithton is a credit to have in our town. There are creative projects, with nurturing and guidance for people and to build people up.

Maida Innes-Smith, Smithton

Conference centre will fail

The Devonport City Council’s much heralded Living City 800 seat conference centre is certain to fail.

The council did not do a quantitative feasibility study.

It ignored an independent market demand study for a 500-700 delegate conference facility in Launceston, which recommended the project not proceed as market demand was inadequate and mentioned insufficient air access and accommodation.

The latest Tourism Tasmania research shows that in the 12 months to June 2017 the entire state attracted 35,500 interstate visitors for conferences or conventions, down 21 per cent, or 97 people a day.

Devonport’s Living City annual average three day conference capacity after eliminating holidays and weekends will equal 61,600 delegates.

That’s about 75 percent more than all the visitors who attended conferences or conventions across Tasmania in the year to June 2017.

What does this say about the competence of Devonport’s mayor and aldermen and their Living City decision making process?

Jonathan Bourke, Devonport

Incompetence causes debt

Australia has a mounting debt that will soon hit $500 billion, yes folks, not millions!

Where is the accountability?

That lies with the general populace, because whilst the proletariat accept it, the government will continue to spend it.

You see that the greedy apathetic masses think it’s the norm. Treasury say things like “the path of debt in nominal terms continues to rise over the medium term”.

That’s Bureaucratic gobblygook for ‘let’s fool the masses’, but it continues to normalise the debt amount.

If Australia were a business or even a household, it would have been declared bankrupt long ago. The country badly needs responsible and competent leadership.

I look to the horizon, and all I see is more of the same.

Politicians deserve the ridicule they get when they can’t even use a calculator and they are more concerned with ‘Marriage Equality’ than something as annoyingly irksome as our national debt.

Ted Horlock, Latrobe

Pension struggle

I am on a pension and I live from one pension to the next. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't go to the cinema, I don't go to the pokies, and I don't go to restaurants (Oct. 4) These things I can't afford.

After I pay my rent, power, gas, petrol for my car, food, clothing etc, there is not much left.

Pensions need to be another $70 a week to live a better life.

I hope the critics are on a pension one day then they will know what it is like to struggle from week to week.